Just as Hitler and Stalin couldn't ban jazz, Hurricane Katrina can't keep it and New Orleans down

At this May 17 concert, Dave Brubeck will receive a lifetime achievement award. And Roy Haynes, the continually evolving master drummer who has played with most of the major entries in the Encyclopedia of Jazz, will solo. You'll be telling your grandchildren about Haynes's performanceand about the rest of the night of living history.

In the interest of full disclosure, I'm on the board of directors of the Jazz Foundation; but because of my day job, making sense of the news, I never have time to go to any meetings. All I do for the foundation is write about itbecause were it not for the creators of this music, my life would have been enormously diminished.

As Oxenhorn says of what the foundation does, "These are not handouts. It's a privilege to be of use to people who spent a lifetime giving us all they had."

photo: Richard Conde

Jazz Foundation's Wendy Oxenhorn: Bringing musicians back to life

When I was in my early twenties, Duke Ellington tenor saxophonist Ben Webster gave me a lifetime credo: "If the rhythm section isn't making it, go for yourself!" But sometimes, you need a rhythm.